Dumbledore's Rather Insane Plan
by Ludy Cress
Summary: This is a DBZ HP crossover. I realize the title is very stupid. Dumbledore is overwhelmed by stress and comes up with a rather insane and somewhat risky idea to get at least one thing off of his mind. The story is really not about Dumbledore though.
1. Chapter 1

Dumbledore's Rather Insane Plan

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, I realize the title is REALLY lame. I honestly couldn't think of anything less stupid though. I'll change it if I think of something better. Please excuse OOCness and AUness.

Disclaimer: Totally not mine.

* * *

The old wizard sat alone in his office contemplating the recent events – the return of Voldemort, the reason behind the formation of the Order of the Phoenix, was always foremost in his thoughts, but Harry's trial with the Wizengamot followed closely behind. The newly appointed member to his teaching staff by the Ministry of Magic was rather unsettling as well.

He gave his beard a worried stroke, wishing he could deal simultaneously with the dilemmas. Finding Voldemort's location – and his still mysterious plan, coaxing the Ministry out of their denial-coated shells, _and_ keeping Harry Potter out of trouble – Ah, what a luxury! He loved the boy like a son, but, though he hated to admit it, he was hard to keep track of at times. What he wouldn't give to ensure Harry was safe while he dealt with other matters!

_A brave boy though; I'll credit him with that._

A minimal, but strange thought crossed his mind, causing him to give a mental double take.

_No, no. That could surely never work. _

He rested his chin in his hands, his elbows propping him up.

_Well, actually it might be plausible…_

He removed his glasses to give them a little shine.

"By golly, I'll do it!" He slammed his hand down hard on the desk. "If I can't get a tiny detail like that through under the Ministry's and the staff's noses, then, so be it, my name is not Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!"

He let loose a very fulfilled smile and stood up, gathering his wand.

"Now to pay a visit to Uranai Baba."

* * *

For him, apparation made the journey quite simple, but he could see why not many non-magical beings ventured out to Baba's small castle anymore. It was in the middle of nowhere!

Dumbledore strolled through the open doorway, then gave a relieved smile as he heard some cackling from behind him. As he turned around to face the source, he mentioned:

"Ah, Baba, pleasure to see you once again! I thought you might have disappeared as well, given the deserted look of your home here."

"Yes, well it seems that the non-magical population has grown lazier and less desperate to know their futures," the tiny woman on the floating crystal ball retaliated rather bitterly. "Leave it to them to deprive me of my only pleasures in life: money and fighting. Even my own squib brother no longer takes on students to send here to fight my monsters!"

"I unfortunately can't offer you either of those today either."

"I know that, you old codge," she smirked. "You require two pieces of information from me: the Dark Lord's current plot, and the name of someone you could realistically sneak into Hogwarts to protect that Potter boy."

"Your inner eye was always more developed than the rest."

She beamed. "I know that too, but that's beside the point. The first, I unfortunately cannot tell. It is (and I'm embarrassed to say) beyond the scope of my abilities. I'll answer the second though, Albus, but only because we're old schoolmates. I won't even make you do battle with Vampire Man." She cackled.

"Thank you for your generosity, Baba."

"Of course. Now, I think the most appropriate person for this position would be a boy around Potter's age, Gohan Son."

"And what makes this Gohan Son qualified for the position?"

"He's a ki-user."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, obviously puzzled.

"Basically, ki can deflect magic like mirrors deflect light."

Dumbledore's eyes widened; he was quite impressed. "Tell me where I can find this boy…"

* * *

In a remote, mountainous region of Asia, a lone little house was nestled in between patches of forest and a cozy smoke poured from the chimney.

Chichi heaved a large pot of water onto the stovetop and sighed with relief. Cooking for two half-Saiyan boys was certainly a hassle at times. One of those times being now.

She clenched her fists to avoid pulling out her hair as Goten started yelling some nonsense about a being with a low-level ki that had just appeared outside the…Wait, _what?_

As she made her way into the living room, a light knock was heard at the door. Strange, considering that they almost never had any visitors – they lived in the middle of the woods after all.

The puzzled look on her face was evident as she opened the door, and the figure revealed caused her eyebrows to rise even further. The tall, but ancient-looking man was cloaked in deep blue robes that contrasted starkly with the whiteness of his long beard. What she found most intriguing, though, was his facial expression. He seemed kindly, yet there was a sense of mystery – something cryptic – about him. Yes, this man knew exactly where he was and he had a purpose being there; he was definitely not the usual lost soul who came upon the house to ask for directions.

Realizing she was staring, Chichi blushed slightly and cleared her throat.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Ah, you must be Mrs. Son," he said, bowing slightly. "May I come in? I'm afraid this meeting might be a bit lengthy."

Generally shocked that he knew who she was, Chichi only nodded and opened the door wider, allowing him to enter. His gait was remarkably smooth for a man of his age.

He seated himself comfortably on the end of the sofa, while Chichi took a seat on the edge of an armchair across from him.

"Mrs. Son, my name is Albus Dumbledore," he began. "I come from a world of which you are probably unaware. This world is the wizarding world."

"Excuse me?" Chichi raised a single eyebrow. Maybe this man was just an old kook after all.

"I expected as much," he replied, unfazed by her disbelief. "I'd like to provide you with an apt amount of proof before continuing with my business."

Chichi crossed her arms and sighed. _The sooner he makes a fool of himself, the sooner I can 'excuse' him from the household._

"Alright, let's have at it then." She gave an impatient tap of her foot. Sure she believed in magic – their common use of the senzu bean was proof enough – but this encounter was becoming slightly strange. Maybe he was trying to sell her something.

He produced a sleek wooden rod, then took a minute to glance around the room.

"Ah, that should work nicely," he pointed the wand at the television. "Reducio."

Much to Chichi's shock, the TV shrank before her very eyes. But this Dumbledore fellow didn't stop there.

"Wingardium leviosa." The shrunken TV began to hover in midair.

The TV suddenly went flying across the room, crashing into the opposite wall, then falling to the ground in a heap of rubble. By this point, Chichi was coving her mouth in shock, partially from his magical abilities and partially from the ruined television set.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Reparo." He proceeded, fixing the TV, then returned it to its correct place and size.

"Now that I've established some credibility – "

Chichi nodded furiously.

" – let me continue with my purpose. I'm currently the headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England. Under my supervision is a boy named Harry Potter…"

He proceeded to give her a light overview of the wizarding world's predicament.

During this time, young Goten, who had been watching from a distance the entire time, finally gained the courage to come see the strange guest up close. He joined his mother by seating himself on the floor at her feet.

"Now, for the reason that I've come," Dumbledore continued after a smile at the new arrival. "I've just recently finished a discussion with Uranai Baba – "

He nodded at Chichi's apparent recognition.

" – which gives me reason to believe that there are certain members of this household who could easily ward off wizarding spells with the use of something called ki. It's something I'm rather unfamiliar with myself, but I would like to test her theory, and if it should work, propose an offer to you."

"What kind of offer?" Chichi asked suspiciously. There were only two ki-users in her household, and as far as she knew, her babies were going nowhere.

"Nothing dangerous, my dear," Dumbledore replied, sensing the mother's extensive protectiveness. "I would only like for the elder of your two boys to accompany me back to the wizarding world to keep an eye on young Potter, since he has a habit of putting himself in dangerous positions. Well, dangerous for a wizard, that is, but if what Baba tells me is true, he should have nothing to fear. Besides, we'll house him in the best wizarding school in England, where he will receive the finest education we can offer him, as well as English cultural immersion and monetary benefits."

_English cultural immersion and payment, eh? That actually might be useful for Gohan's future_…

"We'll see how the testing goes, then I'll decide," Chichi replied before turning to her youngest son. "Goten, would you go tell your brother to come down here please?"

The boy scurried upstairs out of sight, then reemerged into view a few moments later with a much taller young man in tow. They arrived in the living room, and polite introductions were made before heading outside.

* * *

End note: Lawl. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Erp, sorry, no Videl in this story.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Gohan sat on one of the benches that lined Platform Nine and Three Quarters, trying to straighten out his thoughts.

_Okay. _

He took a deep breath.

_So. I'm what wizards call a "muggle," and I'm going undercover in a wizarding school to make sure that Harry Potter remains safe while the headmaster is trying to discover what the Dark Lord is planning…and this is all because I deflected a few weird zaps from Dumbledore's wand by putting forth my ki aura. _

His head spun for a moment – it was a lot of information to grasp.

He thought back to the newspaper clippings Dumbledore had given him to read regarding Harry's past and recent events with Voldemort.

_I mean, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Gotta get those names straight. _

The whole experience of suddenly being thrown into the wizarding world was rather dazing, even without having to memorize such a heavy load of new information, though. Of course, he had seen magic prior to his meeting with Dumbledore, in the forms of senzu beans, Shenlong, Flying Nimbus, and even Piccolo's clothes-making technique, but here he was, suddenly up and dropped off at Platform _Nine and Three Quarters_, waiting for the Hogwarts Express. He sighed and clasped his bag tighter, glad that capsules allowed him to pack lightly - and that they made scientific sense.

Gohan glanced up as he heard the train's distant approach and noticed that more people had begun to crowd onto the platform. As soon as the train neared, he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and wandered closer to the edge of the platform.

Looking around curiously, but trying to not seem too obvious, Gohan tried to take in some of the English wizarding culture. He watched a rather large red-headed family for a moment before turning slightly to find some girls giggling in his direction. He turned away quickly, and caught a glimpse of blonde boy giving apparent orders to two of his companions. From the rough survey, it seemed to him that wizards, on the whole, were rather eccentric. Not that he wasn't already well accustomed to eccentric people - a vivid image of the Kame house instantly flashed though his mind. Mentally groaning, he decided it would just be better to wait for the train to come to a complete stop and ignore his surroundings.

* * *

"Look there, George. The tall chap with the dark hair. He's perfect – a bit nervous looking, and I've never seen him, so he probably won't know us by our faces if we don't mention our names."

"Well, I actually like to think that, regardless of whether we've met them personally or not, we're very well known by _everyone_, but nevertheless, he'll make a wonderful first candidate," Fred's twin replied with a calculated glance at the nominee.

A throat cleared behind them.

"Perhaps you mean first _victim_," Hermione placed her hands on her hips with a look that told them she was not wildly amused.

"First victim for what?" Harry joined in, evidently find the whole affair to be mildly entertaining.

"Why, our magnum opus, of course!" the twins replied. "Skiving Snackboxes!"

"Sky-_what_-ing boxes?" Ron scratched his head; he found it all rather confusing.

"I'm anxious to test the nosebleed nougat," Fred mentioned, ignoring Ron.

"Well, yes, but I think the puking pastilles need the most work, so we might as well check our progress on those," George replied.

"Harry and Ron, who do suppose he is, anyway?" Hermione motioned towards the chosen victim while tuning out the twins. "I've never seen him before, and he's too old to be a first year. He looks about our age!"

"Well, we'll have plenty of time to investigate on the train." Harry nodded. "Speaking of which, it's stopped and everyone's boarding. Let's go."

* * *

Gohan inched his way down the corridor of the already crowded train looking for an empty compartment. The compartments, however, were filling up quickly.

_Only one person in this one_, he thought, poking his head into the next one he came across. _Doesn't look like I'll find any others_.

He ducked in and sat down in the corner opposite a girl who was reading a magazine upside down. He arched his eyebrows slightly before pulling out his own reading material: _Hogwarts, A History_. Dumbledore had recommended he read it.

"The fat lady's name is Merlinda, you know," the girl across from him lolled.

Gohan slowly glanced up. The girl was now looking at him with a dazed expression on her face.

"Is that so?" he replied, unsure of whether or not to believe her. He'd read a section about the portrait of the fat lady, but her name had not been mentioned.

"Of course," she hummed. "And Nearly-Headless-Nick's condition is the result of an accident with a muggle grass-trimming device."

This earned a smile from Gohan, which the girl absently returned. Though she didn't make much sense, she was certainly amusing to listen to, and she certainly didn't seem like she would ever become suspicious of his non-magical heritage.

An abrupt rustling was heard as the door of the compartment slid open and three more individuals cluttered in.

"Ah, here's Luna. She won't mind if you sit here," a small red-haired girl was ushering in two older boys. "How are you doing, Luna?"

"Oh, just tremendously, thanks." She didn't look up from her reading.

"Luna have you met Harry and Neville?"

Luna finally looked up and pointed to the boy with the glasses.

"You're Harry Potter, but I don't know you," she motioned to the other boy.

Gohan's interest peaked at the mention of Harry. _So, here's the guy I'm supposed to secretly protect. This might be easier than I thought if he keeps showing up in my exact locations._

"Well, now you do," the redhead replied to Luna. "This is Neville Longbottom."

Luna merely shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

The boys glanced between themselves, slightly confused. The train began to pull forward, and the red-headed girl excused herself.

"I'm off to find Michael now, I'll see you all later along then."

"Bye Ginny," Harry replied while putting his trunk in the compartment overhead.

The other boy, Neville, slid his trunk under his seat and began to speak to Harry, apparently having not yet noticed that Gohan was even present in the compartment. The half-Saiyan tried to not let his smirk be visible and pretended to be absorbed in his book.

"So Harry, where are Ron and Hermione?"

"They went to the prefects' compartment for a short meeting," Harry replied, slightly resentfully, though it would have been hard to detect. "They'll be back shortly."

"Okay - oh, have a look at this," he held up a plant that he had brought in with him. "It's a _mimbulus mimbletonia_. My great uncle Archie got it from Assyria for my birthday! It has this amazing defense mechanism! You have to see - "

"Erm, that's alright Neville, maybe not on the train - " Harry put up his hands in protest.

"No, really it's simple! All you have to do is - "

The _mimbletonia_ suddenly splurted out a jet of a sticky green substance all over Harry, who was in turn suddenly speechless.

Neville began wailing out apologies, but at that moment, the compartment door opened to reveal a charming young Asian girl, whose eyes widened upon witnessing the mess.

"I, uh, just came by to say hello to Harry, but I guess now's not an ideal time." She smiled with a slight snicker, then glanced around the compartment at the other occupants, her eyes resting momentarily on Gohan.

"Bye Harry," she waved, then left, leaving the door to the compartment open, for two more individuals had shown up.

"I'd have to say, Harry, green goo is certainly not your look."

A lanky red-headed boy entered the compartment, followed closely by a girl with wavy, brown hair. She gasped upon the sight, then pulled out her wand.

"Scourgify."

Harry was instantly clean, and Gohan was glad they weren't paying attention to him, or his shock would have been uncomfortably evident.

"Thanks Hermione," Harry seemed utterly relieved. "How was the prefect's meeting?"

"Boring," the redhead instantly commented.

"Thanks for the input, Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes, then continued, slightly sarcastically. "It went well, I suppose. You'll _never_ guess who was elected as a Slytherin prefect."

"Malfoy."

"Yes. And the other is Pansy Parkinson."

There was a moment without speech as Ron and Hermione put up their baggage and sat down.

"Ron and Hermione." Harry broke in. "This is Luna. She's one of Ginny's friends."

"Oh, I've heard about her," Ron tried to hide a slight snicker. "Uh, nice to meet you."

"What's that you're reading there?" Hermione asked the younger girl, who in turn handed her the copy of the paper.

"The Quibbler? What kind of rubbish is this?" Hermione shook her head while flipping through several pages. "Absolutely ridiculous!"

"My father's the editor," Luna smiled, ever absently. "Isn't it fantastic?"

Hermione scoffed and replied, "If you mean a fantastic _joke_, then - "

"Hey, who's this chap?"

Neville was pointing his thumb back at Gohan, whose stomach tightened in an internal grimace.

_I guess I should have expected them to eventually notice._ He sighed and heard Luna giggle slightly, though mostly inaudibly. Marking the page in his book, he set it down on his lap and gave the crowd a slight smile.

Hermione stopped talking, and she, Harry, and Ron followed the direction of Neville's thumb – it was the guy from the platform!

"We don't know him either," Ron replied, then directed his speech towards Gohan. "So, what's your name anyhow, mate?"

"I'm Gohan," he extended a hand to shake the nearby ones as the other occupants introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you all," he paused on Harry Potter. "I've heard a lot about you."

Harry rolled his eyes, obviously a bit sick of the topic. "Who hasn't?"

"So Gohan, where are you from? I've never seen you at Hogwarts before," Hermione inquired.

"That would be because I'm here on exchange this year. From Asia."

The wizards in the compartment, with the exception of Luna, who only looked mildly dazed, exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Wow, that's wonderful! I wasn't aware we ever hosted single exchange students!" Hermione beamed. "This is such a great cultural opportunity for all of us! What are the wizarding schools like in Asia?"

"Well, uh, they're a bit of a problem actually. Well, not really the schools, but the Asian Ministry. They aren't as good at keeping track of wizards who are born there, so not every magical person gets to attend a magic school. I don't really blame them with such a huge population though." _Man, I'm so good at lying_.

"So did you get to attend or not?" Harry peered at him.

"I didn't. We live in a really remote area, so the Ministry must have easily missed us. I had no idea I was a wizard until Professor Dumbledore showed up at our door one day and gave me the opportunity to come here for a year."

"Dumbledore personally? That's unusual," Hermione mused, storing that odd little detail in the back of her mind. "So you're a first year then, despite you age?"

"Not at all. I'm attending as a fifth year, since I was told my regular academics are good enough to help me easily through the first few years. I'm just behind in Charms and Transfiguration, so I'll be receiving private lessons in them until I'm caught up."

"That's wicked, mate," Ron interjected. "You're in the same year as us! Well, except Luna. She's a fourth year. Do you know what house you're in?"

"I was told I'd be sorted upon arrival."

"Ah, the Sorting Hat," Harry smiled at the half-Saiyan. "No one goes to Hogwarts without experiencing it. If you'd like, though, we'll help show you around until you meet some people in your assigned house."

"Thanks. I'll probably need it, judging by what I've read so far," he motioned to _Hogwarts, A History_.

"Marvelous read," Hermione commented.

The occupants of the compartment then settled into a seemingly comfortable silence, though internally they were all quite preoccupied: Gohan was praying that the coming school year and undercover mission would go smoothly, Harry was puzzling over the presence of Lucius Malfoy at his trial over the summer, and the formation of the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione was pondering over the mysterious new Gohan and the ill fates of Hogwarts' house elves, and Ron was thinking about quidditch.

As Gohan reopened his book, Hermione stole a quick look at the demi-Saiyan. There was definitely something a bit weird about him, but she unconsciously pushed it to the back of her mind, as it pleased her immeasurably to finally see someone, other than herself, enjoying _Hogwarts, A History_. She stole a second, slightly longer glance and the notion that he was also very good-looking flitted through her mind. She felt her cheeks grow slightly hotter.

She was slightly startled, though, when he perked up slightly, as if he'd heard something, and his eyes shifted toward the door. Why was he looking so expectant? _She_ hadn't heard anything in the least!

Gohan's Saiyan hearing, however, had enabled him to hear a sneering voice, just out of the human hearing range, mention a name of particular concern to him:

"There's Potter's compartment. Let's go give him a proper Slytherin welcome."

Moments later, much to Hermione's surprise, some footsteps were heard, and the compartment door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry rolled his eyes and Ron gave a heartfelt groan.

"Ah, Potter," Draco drawled with a malicious grin. "As esteemed prefect of the Slytherin House, I'd like to welcome you back to Hogwarts. I can see you're still keeping the same rotten company: shoddy, second-rate Weasley, that mudblood Granger, sniveling Longbottom, and, ha, a couple new additions! Loony Lovegood, and – wait, who's this?"

Crabbe and Goyle, who were chuckling in mindless support of Draco's antics, were suddenly cut off and left to scratch their heads in puzzlement.

"None of your concern, Malfoy," Ron interjected with a roll of his eyes. "Not anyone who'd want to associate with the likes of you anyhow."

Draco narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

"I didn't ask you to speak, Weasley," he growled before turning back to the Saiyan. "What's your name, mate?" He gave a not-so-friendly smile as he crossed his arms.

Gohan set down his book and also crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Gohan Son."

The words came out a bit more rigidly than intended. As much as he already didn't like this Malfoy character, he didn't want to make any complete enemies before he even arrived at the school.

"Son, you said? Must be a muggle name. Just what this school needs," Malfoy sarcastically commented. "Another mudblood."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled, backing Malfoy.

Gohan raised a single eyebrow at the obviously practiced display of stupidity.

"What, am I supposed to find that insulting or something?" he sighed before waving his hands in annoyance. "Why don't you go bother some first-years. Maybe they'll actually find you somewhat intimidating."

Draco opened and closed his mouth several times in insulted shock, while Hermione covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing aloud in stunned amazement.

_Wow. Offending Draco Malfoy on the first encounter. I can already tell he'll get along wonderfully with us. I hope he's placed in Gryffindor_…

"You'd best watch your back, Son," Malfoy spat, once he'd regained his composure. "And you, Potter, I'll definitely be _dogging_ your footsteps."

He gave a knowing smirk before leaving abruptly, Crabbe and Goyle following closely behind. As soon as the door closed, Harry and Hermione exchanged a somewhat worried glance, and Gohan went back to reading his book. Other than potentially irritating them to death, he didn't think Draco Malfoy posed much of a threat. He was, after all, used to both physical and verbal spars with Vegeta, and he was nearly positive that Malfoy would never reach the same level in terms of insults.

He smirked to himself._Ha, amateur. Then again, I guess I don't blame him for being incompetent. I _am_ unfairly comparing him with Vegeta, and I'll bet Vegeta was a child prodigy when it came to being rude. He's perfected it to almost an art form_.

For the remainder of the train ride, the compartment resumed its silence, each occupant once again back to his or her thoughts or reading. Harry frowned slightly with worry. Had Malfoy noticed Sirius at the station? And why had the Order not informed him about anything that was going on? It all concerned him, didn't it?

He was pulled from his thoughts, however, as the train began to slow, signaling the approach of Hogsmeade Station.

The occupants of the compartment stood up and pulled out their luggage to get out their robes, and Gohan began digging through his shoulder bag.

"Hey, Gohan," Harry turned to him, somewhat confused. "Where's your bag? There aren't any more up here."

"Huh?" he looked up from the bag with a small, pill-shaped object in his hand. "Oh, I've encapsulated everything so it doesn't take up too much room."

"Encapsulated?" Ron scratched his head. "What do you mean, mate?"

"I've heard about that!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's this amazing muggle technology that's really popular in Asia. You can shrink stuff down using science, basically. It almost seems like magic though, from what I've heard."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat. If you guys could get out of the way for a sec, though, that would be great, as I need to get my suitcase out of here," he held up the capsule.

They all backed up, and with a sudden, small explosion, Gohan's suitcase was lying on the seat and the wizards were all rendered wide-eyed.

"Wicked…" Ron managed to say with a bit of effort.

Gohan pulled on his robes quickly, then re-encapsulated his suitcase, to the amazement of his friends, and followed them to the nearest exit.

* * *

End note: Great Zarquon, this chapter was a bit longer.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorting. Also, chapters will begin to slow down soon, because I'm nearing the end of everything I'd written before making my account. If you get bored of waiting, feel free to browse my other stories. Also, have a look at my friend S.T.D.'s writing – she hasn't updated in a while, but maybe some reviews will motivate her. Reviews motivate me too...

Disclaimer: Erp.

* * *

Outside of the train, several carriages pulled by skeletal winged horses were lined up, waiting for the students to board. Gohan thought they looked rather creepy, and looked over to Harry for a quick explanation. He was surprised though, when he saw Harry staring at them as fixedly as himself.

"I take it these are new then," he mused with a raised eyebrow at the rather evil-looking creatures.

Harry gave a vigorous nod in response.

"What are you talking about Harry," Ron interjected. "The carriages have always been used to bring the students to the castle. Only the first years use the boats."

"You mean you don't see them, Ron?" Harry gave his friend a stare.

"See what, mate?"

"The, uh, the _things_ pulling the carriages."

"There's nothing there, Harry. You must have had too many of Fred and George's Hallucinating Honeys or something," Ron brushed off with not too much thought. "Where's Hagrid anyhow? He's not picking up the first years like usual; Professor Grubbly-Plank is over there in his place!"

"How odd," Hermione intervened, coming up behind them. "I wonder where he is!"

Gohan vaguely wondered who Hagrid was as he followed them onto the carriage.

Once they were comfortably seated, it lurched forward and they set off for the castle.

A few moments into the ride, though, Luna broke the silence.

"I can see them too, you know."

"See what?" Hermione cut in rather brusquely.

"The things pulling the carriage."

"Yep, _Loony_ Lovegood all right," Ron whispered under his breath.

* * *

The students piled into the Great Hall, then headed over to the Gryffindor table.

"It's fine if you sit here for now, Gohan," Hermione nodded. "At least until you get sorted."

He nodded and took a seat next to her and she felt her stomach jitter slightly. However, she was pulled from considering where the feeling could have possibly come from by Harry's voice.

"Hermione, Ron, look at the staff table: it's that woman from my trial! What do you suppose she's doing here?"

"Dunno, mate." Ron shrugged his shoulders and Hermione opened her mouth to put in her two cents, but she was cut off when Fred and George joined the group.

"We're proud to say that the snackboxes are going to be a huge success this year," George beamed.

"Oh yes, definitely," Fred continued. "We tested them on several first years with outstanding results. We never did find that one tall chap thou-" He was cut off by an elbow in the stomach from his brother, who was pointing at a certain tall "chap."

"Well what do you know? That's him alright."

Gohan, looking thoroughly puzzled, answered the point, "And you were looking for me because?"

"Oh, you know, just to introduce and get acquainted, mate," the twins nervously chuckled.

Hermione rolled her eyes and chose that moment to intervene.

"Gohan, these two_pranksters_ are Fred and George, Ron's brothers."

To the twins delight, though, Gohan only chuckled and replied, "Jokesters, eh?"

The three of them shook hands and the twins took seats next to their brother. Everyone's attention, though, was drawn towards the entryway when Professor McGonagall led the first years into the hall and to a stool, upon which sat the Sorting Hat.

The hall grew suddenly apprehensive and quiet, and the Sorting Hat burst into a song of warning, urging the students to unite.

Gohan thought this was slightly odd, and when he glanced at his newly-found friends to gauge their reactions, it was apparent they felt the same way.

After a moment of shocked silence, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and began reading off names from a list. One-by-one, the first years were sorted before joining the older students at their respective tables, until she had completed the list.

As soon as the last student was sorted though, McGonagall cleared her throat a second time.

"We have one more student to be sorted this year. Gohan Son, would you please come up?"

As the demi-Saiyan stood and made his way to the front of the Great Hall, McGonagall made a short introduction for him.

"Mr. Son is a fifth year, here on exchange this year. Please make him feel welcome."

Gohan blushed slightly as he felt the eyes of the entire student body boring into him while he took his seat on the stool. A little reluctantly, he placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Well, well. You're quite the interesting one, aren't you?"

Gohan's eyes widened as he heard the voice inside his head. _Did this thing just talk to me?_

"Oh, yes," the hat replied to his thoughts in a semi-playful tone. "You're not even a wizard, now are you?"

_Nope_.

"Ha! Good answer, boy. If you'd have had the audacity to lie to _me_, a normally inanimate object, I'd a have placed you in Slytherin right then and there."

_And where will you place me instead, then?_

"Shush now! I'm still deciding that! You'd do well in any house actually; you seem to be quite the well-rounded fellow. I'm considering more along the lines of Ravenclaw though. Would you just _look_ at the size of that brain of yours!"

_You're not literally looking at my brain, are you?_

"What if I am? Does that make you uncomfortable?"

_A bit, yes._

"Sorry then. I'll move onto just your memory instead of the physical brain."

Gohan frowned deeply. His memory was very personal to him.

The Sorting Hat was now mumbling to itself, and Gohan could pick up the occasional comprehensible word, particularly when they pertained to Namek, Cell, or his father.

"My boy," the Hat suddenly spoke up. "You have bounding intelligence, incomparable to most your age. However, you've used this intelligence to aid you with acts of extreme courage and bravery to aid and save your friends and family. I think this suitably qualifies you for - "

"Gryffindor!" The Hat shouted aloud for everyone in the hall to hear, and cheering subsequently erupted from the Gryffindor table. Removing the hat, Gohan went to rejoin his friends in his original seat.

Once seated, Ron gave him an amiable grin.

"And now dinner will be served."

Gohan immediately perked up.

"Dinner?" His stomach rumbled ominously.

Suddenly, plates and bowls piled high with delectable, savory fare began appearing on the table. Gohan stared in disbelief momentarily, until the first aroma hit his nose. He then began to eat.

His friends, who'd begun to partake in the meal as well, stopped eating and stared horrifically at Gohan's eating habits.

Ron finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Gohan! Mate! Slow down there! I don't think I can handle another minute of this food massacre!"

Though he didn't stop, the Saiyan slowed down enough to make a barely comprehensible response.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" he managed in between bites. "I'm so hungry and this stuff is almost as good as my mom's cooking!"

"Almost?" Harry raised an eyebrow. Hermione only grimaced.

Gohan nodded and increased his pace, noticeably more happily as he noticed that the empty bowls were magically refilled.

Eventually, the dinner simmered down to where Gohan was the only one left eating. Word of his "bottomless pit" had spread around the Great Hall and most of the student body and even some of the teachers were craning to get a glimpse.

With a final swallow, Gohan leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. The entire hall seemed to sigh in relief as if a great tension had suddenly been lifted. Gohan didn't seem to notice.

Finally, Dumbledore stood up to deliver his yearly welcome announcements. Clearing his throat and adjusting his spectacles, he spoke:

"Welcome, first years and Mr. Son, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and welcome _back_ to everyone else. In light of recent events, I would like to reassure all of you that the school year will proceed as usual, and I would also like to introduce you to our new staff member, Dolores Umbridge, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts - "

At this point, the stout, toady-looking woman stood up and cleared her own throat, interrupting the headmaster.

"Thank you, Albus," she said with a forced smile towards the headmaster. "If you don't mind, I have a few words with which I'd like to start off the year."

"By all means, Dolores," he replied, taking a seat.

Without waiting for anyone to become comfortable with the abrupt change, she immediately began a mind-bogglingly long, and obviously well rehearsed speech. Within five minutes, the entirety the of Great Hall's occupants were yawning, save Hermione, who was listening intently, and a couple of professors, who were trying to not be rude.

Gohan, after barely catching himself from nodding off, decided that if the speech was going to continue for so long, he might as well make use of the time and familiarize himself with his surroundings. Closing his eyes, he focused on feeling the ki of everyone in the school.

In terms of ki levels, he found nothing out of the ordinary; there was no ki present in the entire school that was larger than the average human ki. However, almost every ki present was tingling with a slightly magical buzz, something he was definitely not used to. Having never been exposed to this feeling, he opening his eyes with a start and looked around cautiously.

_Good, no one noticed that slight jump._

Calming down slightly, he closed his eyes once more and focused on being able to recognize the ki of the friends he had recently made, particularly those of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They seemed very close-knit, and since his job was to guard Harry, knowing all of them would be handy, wouldn't it?

_Better take a reading on that Malfoy character too. He'd be nice to avoid, since it would save him some embarrassment._ He smirked slightly under his concentration. _Consider it a favor_.

Suddenly, though, Gohan felt a pair of eyes on him. Opening his own eyes, it took him only a second to find the source of the penetrating stare. For a moment, the watcher seemed taken aback that Gohan had noticed so quickly, but he quickly recovered and sent the young Saiyan a relatively weak glare, at least by Gohan's standards.

Gohan raised an eyebrow, visibly unimpressed, then turned to his friends to enquire about just who the glarer was.

"Who's that guy over there who keeps shooting nasty faces in this direction?"

Harry and Ron perked up at the question, as Hermione was far too involved in Umbridge's speech to notice. The two boys followed Gohan's finger and immediately recognized the culprit, both grimacing slightly.

"That would be Severus Snape," Harry replied.

"He hates Gyffindors – especially Harry and anyone who associates with him," Ron continued. "Looks like you're in for it also.

"Not to mention he's probably more bitter than usual right now, since he's apparently still teaching potions. Snape has been after the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for years, but Dumbledore's never let him have it."

"Oh, okay," Gohan nodded before sending a quick look back at the professor. The guy obviously had some resentment issues.

At this point, Umbridge's speech was beginning to wind down, and the students were beginning to stand up from their seats and head for their house common rooms.

As they made their way through the hallways of Hogwarts, Gohan following closely, so as to not get lost, Hermione ranted about how the ministry was trying to interfere with Hogwarts and their educations. As Gohan was not widely familiar with the Ministry of Magic, he wasn't able to follow her argument very well.

"Well, here we are, mate." Ron said, stopping in front of a large portrait of an even larger woman and cutting Hermione off in the middle of a sentence.

"Huh?"

Gohan started looking about for a door, but was suddenly quite surprised when the fat lady in the portrait spoke:

"Password," she yawned, as if she was sick of asking.

"_Mimbulus Mimbletonia_," Hermione promptly replied, and the portrait slid to the side.

Gohan shook his head and crawled through after his friends, reminding himself to not think so hard about the wizarding world. Arriving in the Gryffindor common room, he was soon mobbed by students wondering how it was possible, even with magic, for him to consume so much food.

Ron and Harry shook their heads and gave him a sympathetic laugh, then headed to their room to unpack. Hermione remained behind to carry out her prefect duties by scolding anyone who attempted to touch the stuttering, blushing demi-Saiyan, by insisting that he deserved his personal space. It felt strangely rewarding for her, especially when she successfully prevented any girls from getting to close to him.

Soon, though, it simmered down to just introduction-making, much to Hermione's relief.

This was interrupted a short while later by Harry and Ron, both looking very unnerved, emerging from the boys' quarters and approaching Hermione and Gohan. Pulling them aside, Harry began an explanation:

"We, uh, just had a bit of a falling out with Seamus and Dean, and they left."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why?"

"Seamus said his mother didn't want him to return to Hogwarts this year," Harry looked distressed. "And it's because of me. She doesn't believe what Dumbledore and I are saying about Voldemort's return."

"Ridiculous," Hermione grumbled in response.

"So we were wondering," Ron cut in with a grin, changing the mood. "If you'd like to room with us this year, Gohan."

The Saiyan shrugged his shoulders.

"Sounds good to me."

"Wicked. Let's show you the room then. 'Night, Hermione!"

Hermione seemed a bit taken aback at first, since the dark haired student was so suddenly pulled from her careful watch, but with a consenting sigh, she waved and headed off to the girls' quarters.

* * *

End Note: Woot. Yes, so I learned a new British word the other day: 'bloke.' It's very awesome, and I hope to use it somewhere in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Day One, part one.

Disclaimer: ...errr...

* * *

The next morning at breakfast was hectic, as Gohan proved once again that his stomach could hold enough to feed twenty students his age.

"Do you _always_ eat like that?" Harry asked, his face contorted in disgust.

"Get used to it," Gohan managed to reply in between shoveling food into his mouth. He proceeded to eat while disregarding the stares of those around him. He did note, however, that not all of the stares were directed at him. A good many, in fact, were directed at Harry. Making a mental note of this, he continued to eat.

Hermione promptly looked away, as she was also repulsed, and in an effort to clear her mind of images of Gohan's eating habits, she told Harry what she had learned in the girls' quarters last night concerning who believed and didn't believe Harry and Dumbledore. Gohan heard every word of the conversation, though he was sure much of it wasn't meant for his ears.

Minutes later, Angelina Johnson entered the area and stood across from Harry, waiting a moment for Hermione to finish her sentence.

"Potter, I just wanted to let you know that I've been made Quidditch captain for this year," she stated, placing her hands on her hips. "So about practice – which da…days…ugh."

She too had spotted Gohan, losing her train of thought by the sight.

Fred and George took that moment to opportunely enter the Great Hall and seat themselves right across from the half-Saiyan. Witnessing the reaction he had unknowingly elicited from Angelina, George nudged his brother.

"If he can get that kind of reaction out of people without trying," he whispered. "Just imagine if he was doing it on purpose!"

Fred chucked in response, rubbing his hands together. The wheels of business in their heads were obviously turning in unison.

"I really don't think it would be that different," Gohan replied nonchalantly before downing a full glass of milk.

Fred and George simultaneously widened their eyes.

"How did you hear that?" George exclaimed. "We were _whispering_ our plot!"

Gohan froze for a second before swallowing his last gulp of milk.

_Oops. Saiyan hearing_…

"I dunno. I guess you were just whispering louder than you thought."

"…Right. Well, since you're onto us already, take it into consideration for the future," Fred added with a wink. "In the meantime, we need to gather more test subjects for the snackboxes. You wouldn't be interested, would you?"

"No thanks."

"Too bad, mate – you're missing a great opportunity!" one of the twins continued.

"No he's not," Hermione interjected. "Come on, Gohan. It's time to get to class."

Gohan quickly nodded and grabbed a few extra pieces of toast before waving goodbye to Fred and George with a food-filled grin.

* * *

Gohan hesitated at the doorway of the so-called classroom. The entire dungeon already smelled dank enough as it was, but the odors emanating from the room he was about to enter were pungent enough to almost give him a nosebleed.

"Come _on_, Gohan," Hermione motioned from inside when she noticed he was blocking the entrance for other students.

Grimacing, he slowly entered, taking a seat at the table where Hermione had sat with Ron and Harry.

He felt a familiar ki approaching and glanced up at the door in response.

"Oh great, that bloke's in the class too? What was his name again? Drinko? Gringo?"

His three companions looked up in surprise and Ron started chuckling to himself about the second name Gohan had surmised.

"Draco," Harry corrected, smirking mildly at Gohan's imagination. "We usually refer to him by his last name, Malfoy, though."

"Slytherin has double potions with us," Hermione continued. "They always do."

Gohan nodded in response, then looked ahead as the professor cleared his throat.

"Good morning, students," Professor Snape frowned, surveying the class – his eyes settled on Gohan. "We'll begin the year with a Draught of Peace. Pair up and begin – the ingredients are listed on the board. As for you, Mr. Son,"

Snape eyed the Saiyan with a smirk.

"The headmaster has informed us all about your…situation. I would suggest you pair up with someone who can at least perform basic spells, unlike Mr. Weasley next to you, as you will not be required to perform any, due to your _own_ below-first-year capabilities."

Gohan narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as the Slytherins burst into laughter.

"Don't let them get to you, Gohan," Hermione said, rolling her eyes towards the other side of the classroom. "Snape loves to ridicule Gryffindors. You can work with me though – I know what I'm doing."

Gohan nodded.

"Thanks. Um, I'll go get the ingredients so I'm not completely useless."

He made his way over to the cabinets where the rest of the students were crowding. Grabbing the two class bottles labeled "Syrup of Hellecore" and "Powdered Moonstone," he turned around to head back to the table.

Arriving back at the table, he started to search the label of the syrup bottle.

"Why aren't the chemical formula and molarity of this stuff on here? Aren't they kind of necessary to calculate how much we need to use to ensure that the reaction goes to completion…or at least that it's in equilibrium, because technically…"

He trailed off when he noticed he was getting no response. Looking up, he saw that Hermione was staring blankly at him.

"Um, you know," he continued a bit more quietly, reddening slightly. "…Chemistry?"

To his surprise, she began to giggle at him in response.

"Gohan, do you not get it at all? This _isn't_ science, it's magic! You don't need any of that! Just dump it all in!"

"What? All of it?"

"All of it."

He did as directed, with a slightly disbelieving look on his face.

"The other one too," she added. "Now stir for fifteen minutes. Let me know if your arm gets tired and we'll switch."

He gave a light laugh at the last comment and began stirring as she muttered a quick spell over it.

A few minutes into the stirring, Gohan looked over at his partner. She was looking ahead in one of their textbooks.

"Um, I'm sorry about the whole science thing – I hope it wasn't offensive or anything."

She looked up thoughtfully.

"No, not at all! Actually, it's kind of nice to know that there's someone here who actually knows about other things besides magic. I was a little startled that you seemed to have never seen any magic before though, but I guess that's not surprising, considering that you're from a muggle family. I am too, you know."

"Thanks for understanding," he replied with a small smile. "I _have_ actually seen some magic before, though it was nothing like this."

"Oh? And what was it like?"

"Well, I know this fortune teller, Uranai Baba, and I've seen this guy that can heal injuries when he touches people, and this other guy who can conjure material, like clothes and such, out of nothing. It was all really neat. Nothing like this though, with wands and potions. They didn't recognize that I was capable of magic either."

_Heh, yeah right_.

Hermione looked puzzled.

"You mean you didn't give any signs? Like doing abnormal things that normal people weren't capable of?"

Gohan laughed a bit nervously.

_Oh jeez, if only you knew_…

"Well, I did – I would sometimes break stuff, but without touching it! My mom's pretty crazy though, and I guess she just thought it was normal. She'd just get mad at me and yell at me for it."

_Ki blasts don't really count as touching…_

"Huh, that's interesting," she looked deep in though for a moment. "Oh, you can stop stirring, by the way. It's been fifteen minutes."

Gohan nodded and stopped. Others around him were beginning to stop as well. Once he had removed the stirring rod from the cauldron, he noticed a light, sweet smell begin to waft from it. It made him feel very…peaceful. A relaxed smile settled on his face and he leaned back in his chair. It wasn't a feeling he was particularly used to.

Professor Snape began to walk among the students, inspecting their work. Stopping in front of Hermione and Gohan's cauldron, he peered in with a raised eyebrow. His nose wrinkled slightly in disgust.

"Barely passable," he droned, but luckily moved on.

The pair watched as he moved on to Harry and Ron's work.

"A terrible effort," the professor sneered, causing the boys to gape. They had thought it turned out rather well in comparison to previous potions attempts.

"But, then again, I never expected much out of you Potter and Weasley," Snape continued, pointing his wand at the concoction. "Evanesco!"

The potion vanished, leaving Ron stuttering and Harry seething.

"I want a foot of parchment from each of you on powdered moonstone by next class," Snape smirked before turning to address the entire class. "You are dismissed."

The students filed out of the dungeon, Harry and Ron more dejectedly than the rest.

"Blimey, first Cho and now extra homework," Harry sighed at Ron. "Why'd you have to go and tell her off about supporting the Tutshill Tornados anyway?"

"Well, I'm sorry mate. I didn't think she'd take it so personally!" Ron defended. "I didn't think you would either!"

"Um, not to interfere with the escalating argument or anything," Gohan interjected, looking rather puzzled. "But who are the Tutshill Tornados?"

At this, Ron's, Harry's, and even Hermione's jaws dropped.

"…Quidditch?" Harry prompted as if it were entirely obvious.

Gohan scratched his head.

"That's a sport, right? I think I read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_…"

Ron slapped his forehead.

"You've got a lot of learn, mate."

* * *

End Note: It's been a while! If you like this story, take a look at the new one I posted - it's kind of similar, but some changes have been made.

* * *


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